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Interaction with two microplastic types by an adult freshwater mussel produces differences in ingestion and egestion patterns
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Freshwater mussels absorb tiny plastic beads and plastic fibers differently, beads spread quickly into organs like the gills and reproductive tissue but got stuck there, while fibers took longer to show up but were flushed out more easily over a week. This matters because these mussels are eaten by wildlife and are also used as indicators of water quality, so understanding how different plastic shapes build up in their tissues helps scientists predict how microplastics might move through the food chain and eventually reach the foods we eat, like fish and shellfish.
Microplastic (MP) ubiquity has led to their detection in many filter feeding organisms in aquatic environments. Interaction of MPs with filter feeding marine bivalves is known to vary with particle morphology, yet temporal dynamics, organ-specific retention and egestion patterns remain poorly characterized in freshwater bivalve species. We exposed the adult freshwater unionid mussel Megalonaias nervosa (washboard) to 150,000 MP/mL of 6 μm polystyrene (PS) spheres and 61 μm polyester (PES) fibers to determine ingestion and egestion patterns, and how these may differ between MPs. Accumulation dynamics differed markedly between particle types; PS sphere concentrations in mussel organs remained stable throughout the MP exposure period, while PES fibers increased logarithmically as time progressed. Presence of PS spheres was associated with each organ examined after only one day of exposure, while PES fibers were not detected in the gills and gonad until the third day of exposure. Counts of PS spheres in organs followed a ranking of digestive gland > gonad > gills > hemolymph > foot, while PES fiber counts ranked as digestive gland > gills > foot > gonad > hemolymph. The digestive gland was the primary site of MP accumulation, with counts being at least 60 times greater than any other organ examined. After 48 hr, M. nervosa depurated PES fibers more efficiently than PS spheres as indicated by the continuous egestion of PES, but not PS, throughout the 7-day MP exposure. Further, the feces and pseudofeces produced by M. nervosa when exposed to PES fibers was significantly higher in organic matter content. Adult M. nervosa in this study exhibited significantly different ingestion and egestion patterns according to different MP types. This suggests that MP characteristics influence availability and translocation into non-digestive organs, highlighting the importance of studying multiple particle types when considering the accumulation and depuration of MPs in filter feeding organisms.
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Integrated multi-tissue analysis reveals distinct oxidative and metabolic reprogramming in response to contrasting microplastics in Mytilus coruscus
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Mussels exposed to two common types of microplastics, tiny beads and fibers, responded very differently: fiber-shaped plastics got stuck in gill tissue and caused lasting cell damage, while bead-shaped plastics were more easily processed and mainly triggered the mussel's energy systems to compensate. This matters because mussels and other shellfish are widely eaten by humans, and since fibers (a very common form of real-world plastic pollution from clothing and textiles) seem to linger longer and cause more harm, it suggests the shape of microplastics, not just their presence, could affect how much ends up in our seafood and
Interaction with two microplastic types by an adult freshwater mussel produces differences in ingestion and egestion patterns
AI summary Read the abstract
This dataset accompanies a study showing that freshwater mussels interact differently with two types of microplastics, producing distinct patterns in how much plastic they ingest and how much they expel. Understanding these differences matters because bivalves are filter feeders that can either accumulate or help remove microplastics from water, with implications for both ecosystem health and food safety.
Size-Based Ingestion of Microspheres and Microfibers by Two Freshwater Mussel Species (Dreissena bugensis and Elliptio complanata): Implications for Removal of Microplastic Particles from Aquatic Systems
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Researchers investigated size-based ingestion of microspheres and microfibers by two freshwater mussel species, the quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis and Elliptio complanata, to evaluate their potential for removing microplastics from aquatic systems. They found that ingestion and rejection patterns varied by particle shape and size, with implications for using suspension-feeding bivalves as natural microplastic filters.
Fragment-Shaped Microplastics Induce Size- and Polymer-Dependent Physiological and Gut Microbial Responses in Mytilus edulis
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Blue mussels were exposed to fragment-shaped microplastics of different sizes and polymer types in a lab study. Researchers measured how the plastics built up in the mussels and how this affected their physiology and gut bacteria, finding that responses varied depending on microplastic size and polymer type.
An assessment of the ability to ingest and excrete microplastics by filter-feeders: A case study with the Mediterranean mussel
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Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed to spherical polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations and examined for tissue-level effects and ingestion/egestion dynamics, with smaller particles showing greater retention and histological changes in digestive tissue. The study provides detailed pathophysiological evidence that MP size governs both retention time and the severity of tissue-level effects in marine filter feeders.
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